Birth and Breastfeeding Intensives

Recovering From and Preventing Maternal Depletion: February 10th 6-7pm

Doula Intensive: March 3rd 6-7:30pm, TBD in July, and TBD in October

Physical Therapy Intensive: April 7th 6-7:30pm

Pumping and Returning to Work: April 14th 4-5pm

Prenatal Breastfeeding Intensive: May 19th 4-5pm, TBD in August, and TBD in November

Baby Eating Solids: TBD in June

Toddler Potty Training: TBD July

Normal Infant and Toddler Sleep Behavior: TBD September

at The YogaTonic, Salida

The Local Latch is proud to provide a prenatal breastfeeding, birth, and mothering intensives specifically designed for mothers and their partners in order to help make breastfeeding, birth, and recovery easier. Our innovative intensives provides families with the information and skills they need to improve their experience no matter where they birth their baby. We like to keep our class size small in order to better serve families and offer one-on-one attention.

Pay at the door, $30 per couple per intensive. An additional $10 is added if you bring more than one person. The Maternal Depletion intensive is $30 per person.

Location: The Yoga Tonic: 132 East First Street, Salida, CO 81201.

What Makes Our Class Different?

We offer our classes because we want to provide families with simple tools that they can easily use during the birthing, breastfeeding, and mothering experience. We value the information hospital-based classes offer and we recommend attending one to gain the medical knowledge and perspective. Our class lightly touches on key medical information with the main focus being simple, valuable tools that families can use to help make birthing and breastfeeding easier in a supportive way.

What to Expect in Each Intensive:

Megan Lombardo, CLC will lead these hands-on intensives, designed specifically for expecting parents. Even if you are expecting a 2nd, 3rd, or 10th baby, the skills you learn in this course will be useful and valuable for you and your birth partner in preparation for your upcoming birth and breastfeeding relationship.

For the Doula Intensive: Casey Risinger from A Blessed Path Doula will walk you and your partner through birth strategies, ideal positioning, and other birth techniques and tools to assist in labor and delivery. For the Physical Therapy Intensive: Physical Therapist Dr. Ann Croghan, PT, DPT, CLC, CAPP-OB from Heart of the Rockies Regional Medical Center will be there to highlight the PT approach to make birth easier and to highlight the HRRMC PT-OB program and the care you can receive there.

For the Breastfeeding Intensive: Megan Lombardo, CLC from The Local Latch will teach you what the foundation of your successful breastfeeding relationship will look like with your baby.For the Maternal Depletion Intensive: Dr. Ann Croghan, PT, DPT, CLC, CAPP-OB will discuss some contributing factors to maternal depletion and she will give specific suggestions for recovery. Suggestions will include both food and supplement considerations.

These intensives requires no prerequisites. Each intensive is paid for separately.

Meet the Instructors!

Megan Lombardo, CLC from The Local Latch

Megan's entire life has been dedicated to music. She began studying piano at age 6, and has over 20 years experience as solo pianist, vocalist, songwriter, professional accompanist, and collaborative instrumentalist. After obtaining a college degree in Music with an emphasis in Piano Performance, she went on to work with many different performing arts organizations in many different capacities before opening her own private studio teaching private and group piano, music theory, and chamber music instruction. After having kids, a new path of inspiration and passion ignited, paving the way for The Local Latch.

Megan's favorite part of working in birth and breastfeeding is being able to play a role in a woman's Matrescence--the transformation into Mother. Megan believes that a baby and mother are born together--both must be supported, assisted, guided, and empowered to grow and be healthy. To support and empower a mother/baby breastfeeding relationship is to directly support and empower the innate superhuman power of all womanhood.

Dr. Ann Croghan, PT, DPT, CLC from The Local Latch & HRRMC

Ann with her VBAC baby

Ann is currently a physical therapist (PT) at Heart of the Rockies Regional Medical Center (HRRMC). At the hospital, she started an innovative prenatal and postpartum PT program. She works with clients during the 3rd trimester to help make birth easier. Women then see a PT in-hospital for a postpartum visit in order to address dysfunction and start their recovery. Women then return for postpartum PT and begin to advance their recovery progress. As a lactation counselor for The Local Latch, Ann uses her knowledge of OB and birth recovery to recommend breastfeeding positions that honor the mother without compromising baby's latch.

Ann's favorite part of birth, of breastfeeding, and of mothering is empowering women to find their voice. When women are treated well during their process, they treat their babies and children well. We are enough! With the correct help and support, we can be empowered to ride the wave of birth, breastfeeding, and parent challenges.

Casey Risinger from A Blessed Path Doula

Casey started as a doula over 5 years ago in Huston, TX. She enjoys working with mom and a birth partner in order to offer specific labor coping strategies that honor the mother and her process. As a doula she provides prenatal and postpartum support. She stays with her families throughout their entire process.

Casey's favorite part of birth is the last push. She enjoys seeing the look in the momma's and papa's eyes when their baby comes earthside. The rush of oxytocin and the empowerment that floods the room is unbeatable. She loves to encourage and help the mom feel comfortable in all ways. Casey sees her main role as helping the mom to move through her fears and build confidence in herself in order to cross the threshold of birth and get her baby.

What's a CLC?

Wondering what the letters mean at the end of our names? The Certified Lactation Counselor® (CLC®) certification identifies a professional in lactation counseling who has demonstrated the necessary skills, knowledge, and attitudes to provide clinical breastfeeding counseling and management support to families who are thinking about breastfeeding or who have questions or problems during the course of breastfeeding/lactation. CLCs are dedicated to the promotion, protection, and support of breastfeeding and human lactation in their work to prevent and solve breastfeeding problems. They understand that breastfeeding works best when it is the cultural norm and when the provider of lactation support and services is culturally competent. CLCs come from a variety of different educational and employment backgrounds, including mothers, peer counselors, educators, nurses, childbirth educators, doulas, nutritionists, dietitians, midwives, physicians, social workers, public health workers, public administrators, and many others. CLCs work in obstetric and pediatric practice settings, hospitals, public health programs, and independent practices. CLCs work within a counseling model, understanding that breastfeeding decisions are made by the mother, who may have values and goals different from the counselor. CLCs work as part of the health care team, ensuring appropriate referrals and recommendations.In order to be eligible for certification, candidates must:

And what's a Doula?

Like travel guides in a foreign country, birth and postpartum doulas help support new families throughout the life changing experience of having a baby! Whether it's a family's first baby or their tenth, a doula can help make the birth and postpartum experience better. Today, a doula is defined as follows: a trained professional who provides continuous physical, emotional, and informational support to a mother before, during, and shortly after childbirth to help her achieve the healthier, most satisfying experience possible. Countless scientific trials examining doula care demonstrate remarkably improved physical and psychological outcomes for both mother and baby. Doulas have a positive impact on the well-being of the entire family.

Coming from out of town?

Salida is the perfect destination for a "baby moon" or for you to hangout with your partner, enjoy some outdoor time, and learn a little. Recently, Salida has gotten a lot of love from bloggers and online magazines as a pretty awesome place to visit and live. Read more about Salida in The New York Times, Single Tracks, 5280, and recently The Smithsonian Mag. I'm sure there's more if you just surf around FaceBook.

View of the Peaks from Trout Creek Pass

You can check in to one of the many trendy hotels and motels along highway 50 or stay downtown at the Palace Hotel. Maybe even find a cute bungalow VRBO in town! Step outside your door and walk or ride your bike around town or along the Arkansas River. You can stop for lunch at any of the wonderful restaurants downtown or along Highway 50. After lunch you can walk along F street, stop for a drop in acupuncture session, or schedule a massage with one of the many massage therapists. After class, Vino Salida has live music and appetizers.

Hike Greens Creek:
Easy enough for pregnant moms and this toddler

You can find breakfast downtown and get organic coffee at one of the many different eclectic coffee shops. Maybe even head up to Mount Princeton to soak in their hot springs; a few pools are even located on the river and there are pools available that are safe for pregnant moms! Have lunch at their delicious restaurant and then head to St. Elmo to walk around a mountain ghost town. Or you could stay in Salida, attend a morning yoga session, followed by a trip to the indoor Salida Hot Springs. Here you can rent private pools and relax solo or with your birth partner. After class head out to a romantic dinner where you can absorb all that you have learned.